Royal Family

Meghan Markle's half-brother, Thomas, was arrested Friday for driving under the influence of alcohol ... TMZ has learned.

The 52-year-old was driving by Oregon State Police when police stopped him at 1:33 AM and took him into custody for impaired driving.

Cops performed a field sobriety test and they say his impairment was obvious. They say he was visibly intoxicated and blew a .11.

Thomas -- the son of Meghan's father, Thomas Sr. -- was taken to the Grants Pass Sobering Center. His Chevy Silverado was impounded.

Thomas is estranged from Meghan. He sent a letter to Prince Harry in April in which he said, "It's not too late. Meghan Markle is obviously not the right woman for you."

Thomas' dad tells TMZ, "My son has a serious problem and he needs help, and I hope he gets it." Thomas Jr.'s sister, Samantha, tells TMZ, "His drinking is not related to Meghan. He always drank."

Two things really seem to make Meghan Markle crack a huge smile ... holding her ever-growing baby bump and helping others.

The Duchess of Sussex was all smiles Thursday as she hit up St. Charles Hospital in west London, where she became a royal patron at Smart Works. It's an awesome charity ... they help unemployed and vulnerable women get back into the workplace.

Meghan -- who is about 6 months pregnant -- looked stunning in a black dress from the maternity brand, Hatch. She also sported a long, brown Oscar de la Renta coat.

The Royals took a stroll on XMAS Day to attend church services.

Charles, Prince of Wales, along with Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle, Dutchess of Sussex were all in lock step as they walked toward the Church of St. Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham Estate.

That's a lot of royal talk. Now for us plain folk ... Meghan wins the hat contest. BTW, you can barely tell she's about 6 months pregnant.

Meghan Markle says she's doing well, but also notes that she's "very pregnant" -- and she couldn't be more on the nose ... as her baby bump grows larger by the day.

The Duchess of Sussex was visiting the Brinsworth House Tuesday in London -- a nursing home that houses British entertainers -- and she was speaking with former theatre actress Josephine Gordon who asked Meg how she was holding up heading into her 3rd trimester.

Meghan replies honestly ... telling Ms. Gordon she's feeling very much like a mom-to-be who's about to pop. Meg asks Josephine if she had any children of her own, and you gotta see their exchange here ... it's pretty priceless.

Speaking of due dates, Kensington Palace announced Meghan's as spring 2019 ... but didn't get more specific. Based on how big she looks here ... a lot of folks are speculating she's way further along. Meanwhile, others suggest she might be carrying twins.

Meeting Meghan Markle is apparently more difficult than breaking into Fort Knox ... even for fashion icons and some of the biggest stars in the world.

The pregnant Duchess of Sussex made a surprise appearance at The Fashion Awards in London Monday night to present Designer of the Year, but all the excitement of her presence turned into disappointment for many ... because they couldn't get close enough to say hello.

Sources tell us Markle's area backstage at The Royal Albert Hall was cordoned off by Royalty Protection officers and security guards the whole night, as a tactic called "Royal Movement" was in place. It means when Meghan's on the move, all hallways and stairs have to be kept clear.

We're told several big stars at the awards show -- like Kendall Jenner, Rita Ora and the Beckhams -- were up in arms about the intense security ... because they were denied an audience with Megs.

There were a couple people who did get some face time, though -- actress Rosamund Pike, who co-presented with Meghan, and Clare Waight Keller ... who won the award Markle presented.

The trio even posed for some photo booth pics ... but that was it.

Other celebs in attendance included Kate Moss, Penelope Cruz, Uma Thurman, Lana Del Rey, Winnie Harlow, Robert Pattinson, Saoirse Ronan, Brooke Shields, Cindy Crawford and her daughter Kaia Gerber ... who won Model of the Year.

And, even the MoY didn't get a selfie with the Duchess.

Imitation is NOT a form of flattery when it comes to these wax creations, allegedly depicting Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.

The fake Duke and Duchess of Sussex were unveiled Tuesday at Madame Tussauds in Berlin. You're not looking at wax statues -- those are real people wearing wax masks. Kinda like they do in 'Mission Impossible' ... except these are deeply disturbing and inaccurate.

The couple's been roaming the streets of an outdoor Christmas market -- 'cause nothing puts you in the holiday spirit like the sight of creepy, unblinking royals. As you know, Harry and Meghan are actually very attractive people ... so, we can't figure out how the masks got so screwed up.

Maybe Madame Tussauds hired Cristiano Ronaldo's infamous sculptor?

Anyway, check out the video of Meghan and Harry waxing 'round town ... and good luck getting 'em out of your nightmares.

Meghan Markle's dad is catching flak for bringing up his daughter in a new interview -- but the tell-all was aimed at clearing his name, and not tarnishing hers ... TMZ has learned.

Friends of Thomas Markle tell us the interview he did with Daily Mail over the weekend was set up for the purpose of disproving false rumors he faked a heart attack earlier this year ... right before Meghan and Prince Harry got hitched.

Thomas revealed medical receipts for his heart surgery. As we first reported, he got 3 stents implanted. Our sources say Thomas keeps tabs on what people say about him on the Internet, and was offended to read haters claiming he faked the medical emergency.

Of course, while defending himself ... Thomas described Meghan as "demanding but never rude." He was attempting to squash British rumors about his daughter being difficult to deal with and feuding with Kate Middleton.

We're told he didn't intend to bash Meghan, and he doesn't want to say anything that could harm her. In fact, we're told that's why he's been under the radar for several months.

Meghan Markle and that baby bump are coming along -- it's noticeably bigger since the last time we saw her out and about.

Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex hit up a Christmas carol service Tuesday night at St. Luke's Church in London. Harry, ever the gentleman, led the way for his bride as they slipped out after the service and, BOOM ... there it was!

Her baby bump -- more of a belly now -- was perfectly lit under the moon's spotlight. She's reportedly around 5 months pregnant.

Last time we saw Meghan, she had on an apron and her baby bump barely showed. She's due sometime next spring ... but with the colder weather coming soon, she might want to start thinking about bundling up.

Tick, tock.

Kate Middleton wants everyone to know Meghan Markle isn't the only Royal with impeccable style ... because Kate's doing everything she can to keep up with Meghan's public image.

Our Royal sources say Kate is attending more events than she used to, and she's paying much more attention to her looks ... we're talking wardrobe, hair, jewelry, make-up, the whole nine yards. Basically, we're told Kate wants to be more visible now that Meghan is commanding the spotlight.

As you can see, Kate has totally switched up her look ... combining Princess Diana's favorite tiara with a fancy necklace and a new gown by Alexander McQueen. This ensemble for a recent state banquet is quite different from the looks we'd gotten used to seeing Kate wear.

When she attended Prince Charles' 70th birthday party on Nov. 14, Kate wore her hair up ... showing off bare shoulder under very glitzy earrings. Again, a style we hadn't seen much. For what it's worth, Meghan also wore her hair up at that event.

Kate's been busting out some outfits from way back in the day -- she's no fool and knows that gets more coverage. Check out Kate this year in her 2012 Jenny Packham dress. All she really changed was wearing her hair down, and it still looks stunning.

Usually, she recycles a year-old jacket or two, not a dress she wore 6 years ago -- a clear sign she's trying something new.

It's interesting ... Kate's image focus comes amid reports of tension between her and Meghan, and between William and Harry. We've reached out to Kensington Palace for comment, but so far no word back.

We already knew Meghan Markle had prior relationships before meeting Prince Harry -- but we didn't know just how lovey-dovey she was with her old boyfriends ... until now.

Here's a photo of Meghan cozying up with her old celeb chef flame, Cory Vitiello, while they dined in Toronto. In the pic, obtained by TMZ, you see Meg sitting on Cory's lap with his arms wrapped around her waist ... and him laying a big smooch on her cheek.

We're told this pic was taken at Atlas Restaurant in May 2016 -- which wasn't too long before she started seeing Harry across the pond. Remember ... Meghan and Harry reportedly began dating in the summer of '16, so something must've happened between this picturesque moment and whatever summer month Meghan got fixed up with Harry.

Even more interesting ... both Meghan and Cory went on to get hitched. Oh, and Cory's got a kid now too ... Meghan, of course, is expecting her first child with Harry.

Sounds like a great case of "Good Luck Chuck" that goes both ways.

Meghan Markle is back at a community kitchen and throwing royal protocol out the window.

The Duchess of Sussex visited the Hubb Community Kitchen at the Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in West London ... not far from where the Grenfell Tower fire killed 72 people.

Meghan's been making secret trips there since January ... and last September she was there cooking and helping the women release a charity cookbook with their recipes. This time around she abandoned all formality ... kissing and hugging just about everyone while seeing how funds raised from the cookbook have made a difference.

Some members of the British Royal Family are just like you ... because Princess Beatrice used a ride-sharing app to whisk her away from the airport.

We got Princess Beatrice on Friday at LAX after flying in from across the pond ... and, we gotta admit, it was a bit shocking when she hailed an Uber.

Of course, this was no uberX ... Fergie and Andrew's daughter got picked up in a Lexus Hybrid. Regardless, it's nothing like the transportation available to her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth.

Props to Beatrice for grabbing the Uber on her own and opening the car door without waiting for the driver, who apparently had no clue he was picking up royalty.

Beatrice tells us she's in L.A. on business, and it didn't take long for her to get a taste of what the common passenger deals with at one of America's busiest airports ... because she had to walk to another terminal to find her ride!

The Royals just released a family portrait for Prince Charles' 70th birthday, and HEY NOW, WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT STEAMY COUPLE GETTING COZY IN THE BACK!!!

Check out Prince Harry with his left hand firmly on Meghan Markle's waist ... that's a super intimate pose as far as Royal Family portraits go.

Our palace sources tell us the photos were snapped this summer at Kensington Palace ... which would have been right around the time Harry and Meghan learned she was pregnant, and Harry and Meghan's facial expressions make it look like they've been getting it on.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are looking pretty risque compared to the rest of the Royals ... Prince William isn't anywhere close to Kate Middleton's hip as she holds newborn Prince Louis.

In the front row, Prince Charles bounces Prince George on his lap as he sits next to Camilla and Princess Charlotte.

Harry kept his hands-on approach in the fun pic, with Meghan leaning in and laughing.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry passed on costumes for Halloween while down in New Zealand, but their choice of scenery screams that they were still in the spirit.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex continued their international tour Wednesday with a visit to Rotorua, New Zealand ... where they checked out the famous Redwoods Treewalk with lots of suspended bridges and towering timber around them.

Considering Meghan's preggo with their first Royal baby ... this is the most strenuous activity we've seen her undertake in weeks.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had a scare Friday when their plane was forced to abort its landing in Sydney ... because another plane was on the runway.

You see in the video the Qantas plane just seconds from landing at Sydney Airport when it suddenly throttles up and regains altitude.

Gotta give credit to the pilot who put a good face on the emergency ... according to BBC journalist Simon Atkinson who was on board, the pilot told passengers, "You'll get another great view of the harbour."

Queen Elizabeth is in mourning after her faithful companion died at Windsor Castle ... people knew it was coming but it's still a heartbreaking loss.

The Queen's beloved Corgi, Whisper, has passed after an interesting 12-year run at life.

Q.E. adopted the pooch from a former staffer back in 2016. The staffer died and the Queen adopted Whisper. It's her second big loss ... her other Corgi, Willow, died earlier this year.